The advertised fees for the 2026 stallion roster at Gainesway in Lexington, Ky., have been released, once again led by the record-setting sire TAPIT and MCKINZIE.
Cornerstone sire TAPIT once again leads with an advertised fee of $185,000. TAPIT remains North America’s #1 active sire by lifetime Grade 1 winners (34) and graded stakes winners (106), with progeny earnings exceeding $220-million. TAPIT is also building an elite resume as a broodmare sire, poised to earn his third consecutive North American Leading Broodmare Sire title.
TAPIT has maintained his status as one of the breed’s preeminent commercial sires, with his yearlings averaging a sale price of $620,882 at the Keeneland September Sale. This year, he had four yearlings sell for seven figures, highlighted by the $1.5-million filly out of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) winner Sharing.
MCKINZIE has quickly emerged as a leader among North America’s young stallions. The four-time Grade 1 winner by Street Sense, has had an exceptional start at stud, siring three Grade 1 winners from his first crop, including Baeza, who secured a signature victory in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) after earning a pair of classic placings. Baeza joins Grade 1 winners Scottish Lassie, the dominant winner of the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) by over 15 lengths, as well as two-time Grade 1-winning juvenile Chancer McPatrick. The quality continues in his second crop, which has already produced three TDN Rising Stars: Golden Tornado, Big Dom and Dr. Kapur. MCKINZIE will stand for an advertised fee of $75,000, pending Breeder’s Cup results.
LOCKED, a son of leading sire Gun Runner, is new to Gainesway in 2026 after a racing career that saw him become a graded stakes winner each year from ages two to four. He retires with earnings of over $1.9 million having won or placed in 10 of 11 starts.
LOCKED secured his first Grade 1 when he captured the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at two before finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). At age three, he returned to defeat older competition in the Cigar Mile, defeating Grade 1 winners Book’em Danno and Mullikin. Locked delivered his signature performance in the Santa Anita H. (G1), where he won by a record-setting 8 ½ lengths, the largest margin of victory in the race’s storied history. He earned a 109 Beyer Speed Figure in that effort, which is the co-highest of the year at 1 ¼ miles by an older horse. He will stand for a fee of $35,000.
Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) winner OLYMPIAD was represented by his first crop of yearlings at auction in 2025. They were well received by buyers, confirming the quality and physical traits possessed by his first foals. The group was led by a pair of horses which sold for $410,000. He will stand for $20,000.
DRAIN THE CLOCK will stand for $10,000. The Grade 1 winner by Maclean’s Music, proved to be an exceptional value sire, producing the highest ROI (7.74x initial fee) of any first-crop sire through the Keeneland September sale. He further demonstrated his ability to produce quality yearlings with 25 six-figure yearlings in 2025; the most among first-crop sires standing for an initial stud fee of $20,000 or less.
A quartet of Gainesway sires will cover their second books of mares during the upcoming season.
Multiple Grade 1 winner MUTH will stand for $30,000, after covering 185 mares in his debut season. The son of Good Magic is the only North American stallion retired in 2025 to be a Grade 1 winner at both two and three. As a juvenile, he won the American Pharoah Stakes (G1) before running second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). At three, MUTH won the San Vicente Stakes (G2) before prevailing in the Arkansas Derby (G1).
Preakness Stakes (G1) winner SEIZE THE GREY, Arrogate’s top earning son, was also highly sought by breeders covering 196 mares. As a juvenile, he broke his maiden at Saratoga, defeating future Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Dornoch. At three, he earned a front-running victory in the Pat Day Mile (G2) before establishing himself as one of the top 3-year-olds of his crop, going wire-to-wire in both the Preakness Stakes (G1) and Pennsylvania Derby (G1). SEIZE THE GREY will stand for $25,000.
CHARGE IT was one of North America’s most popular first-crop sires in 2025, covering 235 mares. The Grade 2-winning son of TAPIT is from one of the most active female families with his second dam being 2013 Broodmare of the Year Take Charge Lady. CHARGE IT won the Dwyer Stakes (G3) by an astounding 23 lengths while earning a career-high 111 Beyer Speed Figure. He was also the winner of the Suburban Stakes (G2) and runner-up in the Florida Derby (G1). He will stand for $12,500.
Rounding out the group is Grade 1 winner TAPIT TRICE who will stand for $10,000. The $1.3 million yearling by TAPIT hails from the family of Champion Two-Year-Old Filly Jaywalk and out of the multiple stakes winner Danzatrice. At three, TAPIT TRICE won the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) and Tampa Bay Derby (G3), while also placing in the Belmont Stakes (G1) and Travers Stakes (G1). At four, he won the Woodward Stakes (G2) and the Monmouth Cup Stakes (G3).
KARAKONTIE, one of the country’s top value turf sires, has seen his resume continue to grow with the continued dominance of five-time Grade 1 winner, She Feels Pretty, who heads into the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf with Grade 1 wins already this year in the New York S. and E. P. Taylor S. He was also represented in this year’s Kentucky Derby field by graded-placed Flying Mohawk. KARAKONTIE will stand for an advertised fee of $15,000.
Grade 1-winning millionaire RAGING BULL, with his first crop of 2-year-olds, is led by multiple graded-placed, Proletariat and multiple stakes-placed Jutland. The son of Dark Angel will stand for $7,500.
Following is a full list of advertised fees for the 2026 Gainesway stallion roster.
CHARGE IT – $12,500
DRAIN THE CLOCK – $10,000
KARAKONTIE – $15,000
LOCKED (NEW) – $35,000
MCKINZIE – $75,000*
MUTH – $30,000
OLYMPIAD – $20,000
RAGING BULL – $7,500
SEIZE THE GREY – $25,000
TAPIT – $185,000
TAPIT TRICE – $10,000
*Subject to change pending Breeders’ Cup results